British Masters Championship 2026

Oar Story 11 - to Nottingham and beyond!

Medals, Milestones, and Masterclasses.

What a weekend! Monmouth Rowing Club descended on Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham, last weekend for the British Rowing Masters Championships, and to say we punched above our weight would be a massive understatement.

With nearly 30 crews competing across two packed days of racing, Monmouth proved that passion, dedication, and a grueling winter training block payed off. Despite being far from the biggest club in attendance, Monmouth RC finished an incredible second place overall in the Victor Ludorum standings.

Here is how the weekend unfolded.

Saturday: Gritting it Out in the Sculls

Saturday was dedicated primarily to sculling, but the Nottingham weather decided to give us a true masters challenge. It was cold, grim, and incredibly windy. The conditions at the start were so challenging that organizers had to abandon the traditional stake boat starts in favor of free starts across the six lanes.

Despite the fierce crosswinds and choppy water, our scullers dug deep, mastered the conditions, and set the tone for the weekend.

Saturday Crews

• Gold Mx F 4x- Sue, John G, Bill and Liz L

• Bronze Mx G 4x- Simon, Maggie, Frances and Alex

• WD 4x- MJ, Fliss, Lou T and Rachel

• Op F 2x Mark and Tim E

• Op Int 50+ 4+ Ewert, Roland, Scott, Tom and Kate H (C)

• W E 2x Liz L and Sue

• Mx D 4x - Scott, Dawn, Tom and Jane H

• Silver Op G 4x- Matthew, Tim E, Mark, and Roger

• Op F 4x- Simon, Alex, Bill and John

• W Int 50+ 4+ MJ, Fliss, Lou T, Rachel, Jo (C)

• W D 2x MJ and Rachel

• Op G 1x Tim E

• Mx E 2x Scott and Jane

• Op D 4x- Tom, Alex, Ewart, John

• Gold Op F 1x Mark

  
  

Sunday: Sweep Success and Perfect Skies

Sunday brought a complete contrast. The sweep oar rowing was blessed with near-perfect racing conditions. By the afternoon, the sky looked exactly like the iconic bedroom wallpaper from Toy Story—perfectly blue with fluffy white clouds, providing the ultimate backdrop for our traditional final group photo.

Team Monmouth

The medal haul came thick and fast, culminating in a spectacular overall weekend tally of 11 medals: 4 Golds, 3 Silvers, and 4 Bronze.

Sunday Crews

• Silver W E8+ Dawn, Rachel, Fliss, Shelagh, Sue, Lou T, Liz L, Louise A and Jo (C).

• Gold Op E4- Mark, Tim M, Ian and Nick.

• Op F4- James, Paul, Simon and Alex.

• Op C 2- Tom and John.

• Op F 4+ Bill, Ewart, John, Alex and Jane (C).

• Gold Mx E8+ Sue, Dawn, Fliss, Lou T, Mark, Tim M, Nick, Ian and MJ (C).

• Bronze Mx F/G 8+ Maggie, Kate H, James, Paul, Simon, Tim E, Liz L, Louise A and Jo (C).

• Bronze OpF 8+ Paul, Colin, James, Alex, Simon, Tim M, John, Mark and MJ(C).

• Op G4- Matthew, Colin, Roger and Bill.

• Bronze W F 4+ Liz L, Shelagh, Sue and Louise A.

• Op F 2- Ian and Nick

• Silver W E4+ Maggie, Lou T, Jane, Kate and Fliss (C).

  
  

Standout Moments & Unforgettable Stories

While every single competitor gave their all, a few storylines from the weekend perfectly capture the spirit of Monmouth RC:

• The 100% Women’s Squad Record: In an absolutely phenomenal achievement, every single member of the women’s squad came home with a medal.

  

  The Women's squad with their medals

• Last-Minute Drama: Just days before the event, disaster struck when Bonita, one our women's squad members tragically fractured her arm. Step forward, Dawn! With virtually zero notice, Dawn stepped into the breach, subbed into the crew, and helped secure an incredible result.

  
  

  

  Bonita sporting her MRC cast (with help from a little AI)

• 40 Years in the Making: In one of the most heartwarming moments of the championships, John and Bill raced together for the first time in 40 years. How did they celebrate the four-decade reunion? By winning a brilliant Gold in the Mixed Quad! If that wasn't enough, John also got to enjoy rowing the in a pair with his son Tom.

  
  

• Camp Monmouth: Whether its warming up at 6.30 on Sunday morning, enjoying one of Jane's delicious bacon sandwiches or adjusting blades it was the usual Monmouth team spirit on show.

The Culmination of the Ultimate Team Effort

An event like this doesn't just happen. This weekend was the peak of a long, dark winter training block and weeks of intense final preparation. Because we entered so many combinations, flexibility was key. Most rowers were entered into six events, with some incredible athletes racing up to nine times over the course of the weekend.

A Massive Thank You

We couldn't have achieved any of this without our incredible support team:

• Coach Tim: For the endless hours of coaching, planning the combinations, and keeping us focused.

• The "Two Towers" (Tim E and James A): It takes a logistical miracle to move over 30 crews. We actually needed both of the club trailers to fit all of our boats this year, and Tim and James towed them safely to Nottingham and back.

Congratulations to every single rower, cox, and supporter. Monmouth RC, you did yourselves proud!